Newcastle Consider Some January Transfer Moves

The January transfer window opens in less than two months time, and Alan Pardew said during his press conference yesterday, the club would be looking at what needs to be done with the squad.

Lee Charnley and Mike Ashley – will money be available? At the beginning of the season, and certainly after collecting just 3 points form our first six games, the need was for a striker, a center-back and a central midfield play-maker, since Yohan Cabaye was never replaced last January or in the summer.

As for our strikers, we have seen that young Ayoze Perez is more than useful, and when Papiss Cisse has played, he’s looked good and already has more PL goals this season than he scored in all of last season.

Manu Riviere needs more time, as does Argentine striker Facundo Ferreyra, who had a good game for the U21 side earlier in the week.

As for center-back Mike Williamson has been injured most of the season, but Steven Taylor has shown some good form – but we are still short of a center-back, after not replacing Yanga-Mbiwa, when he went out on loan to Roma.

As for a play-maker we had an article out earlier this week that 23 year-old Lyon midfielder Clement Grenier could be a great buy for Newcastle, and plays in a similar way to Cabaye.

Alan Pardew was asked yesterday if the club was looking at what was needed to be done in the January transfer market:

“Yes, the last window worked for us as we tried to analyse and find a formula.” “We need to assess ourselves again, certainly start looking at January,

“If there’s business we need to do or something we need to keep a close watch on.”

Of the three above requirements, maybe the number one priority is to bring in another center-back – and Celtic’s Virgil van Dijk remains a top target – although we have also seen that Paul Dummett can play at center-back, and he gave an excellent performance at Manchester City.

But with the contracts of Fab Coloccini and Steven Taylor having only 18 months to run, January could be a good time to bring in a top center-back.

Clement Grenier has been out with a groin injury so far this season, so maybe a move for him in January would not be on – and it remains to be seen if we can bring in a top striker in January.

That would probably depend on how well Manu Riviere and Facundo Ferreyra (and Ayoze Perez) perform in the next couple of months.

And there have been noises that Newcastle may sell Cheick Tiote in January, but hopefully the owner has learned that selling a top central midfielder half way through the season impacts a side.

That’s what happened last season, when we sold Yohan Cabaye to PSG, and suffered the consequences.

The worry we have is that if Newcastle are fairly safe in the league table come January, then Mike Ashley will not want to spend any money – sound familiar?

But with the time it takes players to settle in on Tyneside these days, getting players in during the January window would seem to be a good move.

136 comments so far

I think we still need players at CB, 2 more would be great as not convinced by Colo even though had a few food games. I think we should be looking in Germany it appears to be most like EPL and coild get some bargins there.

I dont get why we need a central midfielded playmaker, everyone keeps saying it but surely CB and ST are the priority.

Sissoko has also proved he is capable of playing as that creative central midfielder so why waste money ? Some people forget that sissoko was our most creative player last season after cabaye had left.

Our team would be more than complete if we could get: Van Djik, Alderwield, Grenier, and Doumbia. Sell Santon and possible Tiote (although rather not). Maybe sell Cisse if he can’t regain his form again.

In my opinion if tiote left in january for ‘big money’, it wouldnt neccessarily be a bad thing- due to abeid showing great form as well as the holding midfielder role having some depth. However it would be a bad thing if Ashley didnt reinvest the money into a ST/CB or even better both.

There will be absolutely nobody coming in this January if there is 20 points on the board by then, if this is the case we’ll only see outgoings. Mashers is still hurting over Sol Campbells wages, his policy sees no need to have four ‘purple’ CB’s as it is deemed, not science but pure bad luck when two are injured at the same time despite STaylors record. Basically when the team is built on survival rather than success we won’t ever see any signings that aren’t absolutely necessary.

I agree we have Sissoko, Cabella and Siem DeJong (once he’s recovered) who can all play CM and so our major weakness isn’t in midfield.

But I wouldn’t be surprised if Tiote goes, and the money Ashley gets for him will be used as a “2 for 1” deal where he will buy two average players (either 2 CB’s or a CB and ST). This allows Ashley to have no net expenditure in January and should allow Newcastle avoid relegation but remain in the lower half of the table.

When Danny Simpson and Santon were played in that debacle against Norwich it would have been a good idea to buy a CB a month later, we didn’t, finished fifth and justified the ridiculous decision not to.

I think Ashley will spend the surplus money on maintaining his asset, i.e. ground, training facility, academy etc, as well as improving the first team but in his own good time. And he will continue to look for bargains, and won’t pay over the odds, meaning a better quality of player potentially than we’ve seen till now.

He’s all about trimming the fat first, then increasing the value of the asset as far as I can tell. I can’t see him sitting happily on a mid table EPL team, he is ferociously ambitious, he just picks his moments and doesn’t care what others think, including us.

We need to move some players on before we sign any I suspect though. Might get a CB if Roma give assurances about taking Mbiwa, or a CF if one better than what we have becomes available at the right price, but there’s only so many pegs in the dressing room and this squad is already full of players potentially on the up, pressing for a first team spot that deserve their shot.

Mag, Yesterday you accused one of my theories of being ridiculous and never replied to my answer. Here you are today suggesting that injuries may force signings despite seven years of evidence that suggest injuries play no part what so ever in our transfer policy.

Jimmy, How can’t you see him sitting on a mid table, it is patently obvious that this is the position that suits his needs best, he has no desire what so ever to see us in the EL and the rewards of the CL aren’t worth the extra investment.

Having a flick through the papers this morning when I spotted Ashley’s next target. Conor Whickham can sign pre contract in jan and will only cost £450,000. Not saying I want or rate him but we all know how the club works so I expect us to try and sign him.

What should our front 3 be against west brom provided we played 4-3-3 and if Aarons/Cisse are out ?

Its a really difficult decision because at the start of the season who would have said that obertan was going to be a permanent starter ? With him and aarons (not sure if he will play) now out for this game i just have that feeling he is going to play gouffran. Now, i feel gutted for gouffran because he seemed a good bargain when we bought him- as a striker- and now he doesnt fit in with tge pace we have upfront. It was right to drop him but i cant help but feel sorry for him. He was unfairly forced out wide leaving him to adapt to that role, unable to get around defenders due to lack of pace and being unable to carry the team forward because he looks hesitant to play the ball forward, we always go backwards when he starts at LW.

I would play:

Cabella-perez-sammy

i think pardew will play (4-2-3-1) though because he wont have the ba**s to play cabella.

I just think he’ll most likely successfully reinvest the profits to improve his asset. Considering his track record in business.

I don’t necessarily or particularly think he’s looking seriously at Champions League level investment though, but I definitely think he wants a better first team and so that’s what we’ll most likely get. How’s it in his interest not to?

The masterplan all along has been for the youngsters to take the places of the senior players when injuries hit its only now that this is coming to fruition !

I expect we will continue to ship out some players such as Vuckic , Ferguson and possibly Bigi and replace them with other young players as it looks like there is no way back for them under Pardew although if there is another injury crisis who knows ! ?

It seems we have revised the model to sign young British players as well so it would not surprise me if we are looking at getting Ings or Wickham who are both out of contract in the summer

Here we go again, its still TWO MONTHS AWAY from the Window and the Circus is starting to Flex its muscles !

Everyone and his dog who has anything to do with the club? All of you know exaxctly what is needed and the Bloggers on here wil undoubtably air their thoughts and opinions on here which is, on this site, par for the course and happens twice every year !

There will be more chance that Players will Leave than any coming in, with Fat Ash trying to maximise his Profit Margins, selling to the highest bidder? Probably also on the last moment before the window slams shut and all concerned will wonder what all the Bull was for and why all of us Bloggers got so wound up during a Window? But heh its all part of NUFC so here goes :

Virgil van Dijck should of been brought in from Celtic in the summer ! Why he was,nt for the price he was available then remains a mystery to me? Now if you want to go and get him it will cost us a higher transfer fee as he is on the verge of his International debut and when ( not if ) that happens his asking price will increase and we will of missed out AGAIN ! Where have we all seen this before?

Clement Grenier is an absolute non-starter because of his huge wage demands and the asking price his club will demand to get him to make the move? His agent will want a big pay-day also? Plus, the player wants CL football, which is why Cabaye left us when he did.

The mistake Cabaye and Newcastle made was in the Timing of the move and the fact that if Cabaye had stayed with the Team built around him and the Ambitions of our Fat Owner were different we may well of ended up qualifying for CL ourselfes anyway? No-one will ever know?

All of this is water under the bridge now, but 18 months or so further and Cabaye is a benchwarmer and is in danger of being dropped from the National Side “Le Bleu” ! You could say to Yohan, “Well Pal, thats your own fault “? But neither him or us could of seen the present situation coming? Fat Ash gobbled up a Fat Profit for the player and the slide down the table begon in ernest, tactically the worst action the Club could of done and we almost took the drop again?

In conclusion to this, i am not actually writing anything here that you average Blogger already knows but i don,t believe there will be anyone coming in at all in January but i do think that there will be players leaving, with Tiote heading that list ? Ashley will want to fatten his Profit Margens and maximalise his Investment? at our cost !

Nothing but nothing surprises me any more with Ashley in charge and with Pardew as the Trainer !

It has just dawned on me, the last person to call me an old woman was the multiple poster bob, ted etc, we’ll it looks like your back mag 92, once established how long before we see your real true colours.

Without Obertan in the first 11 I don’t believe that we’ll win but if I must choose wining image this is it: ———————-Krul Tim—————– Anita——-Steven Taylor-Coloccini–Haidara—- —————Sissoko/Abeid/Tiote————- Ryan Taylor—————————Aarons—- —————-maestro Cabella ———————————-Perez Ayoze– ————-Demba Cisse/Sammy Ameobi—- We need to be happy with draw game with the current circumstances.

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